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Portraits on the Riverfront
One of our customers, Noah, has a series of portraits called The People of Detroit. His most recent shot is of one of our regular visitors, Larry. It's a great shot with a great accompanying story. For some reason, I can't figure out how to link the photo directly, so head here to check it out.
Spring Tune-up Special Deadline: April 16
Friday, April 16 is the last day to bring in your bike and receive the Spring Tune-Up Special price of $40. Saturday and beyond, it'll run you the regular rate of $50. We are open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Big news for this weekend is that the Wheelhouse crew (Except Lisa, who will be manning the shop!) will be undergoing training provided by PEAC on Saturday to ensure that we are all up to snuff, safety-wise, when we are conducting our tours.
Our first tour of the season, Architecture, went off with a bang last weekend. Among our VIP guests were Bud Liebler, owner of Midtown's venerable The Whitney restaurant and Michael Hodges, who writes about architecture for the Detroit News. Here's what he had to say about it:
Led by architect Brian Hurttienne of Detroit's Hamilton Anderson Associates, the three-hour tour utterly rocked -- one of the high points of A.B.'s spring. Happily the tour will be given once a month throughout the summer. Check the Wheelhouse website or call for dates. It's a great way to see the city. Detroit, as writer Toby Barlow has pointed out in the New York Times (click here to read his entertaining, well-observed op/ed piece from several months ago), is virtual heaven for bikers: flat, and almost no cars, particularly on the weekends.
Read the rest of his blog post here.
Slots are filling up on our next tour, which is April 24 and will visit The Villages. Head to www.wheelhousedetroit.com/tours to read more about it and to register, as well as to peruse our full schedule.
Words from the Banana Stand
Another weekend at the Wheelhouse! We'll be here Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Our first tour of the season, Architecture, rolls out at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Join us for an informative ride through Elmwood Cemetery, Lafayette Park, Midtown and Downtown. Expert commentary will be provided by local architect Brian Hurrttienne.
We've added two more bikes to our stock, the SE Dew, which is flat black, and a white female Sun Drifter ($360). 
We've just received a large shipment of Bell and Giro helmets, and we've also begun to carry Randy's Granola, a locally made healthy treat for $2.50 per individual pack. See ya on the river!
Weekend Update
How amazing is this weather? This weekend we'll be here Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. We're closed Sunday for the holiday.
Misc. Bloggage
Just a few notes for the week:
- We are launching a Featured Item of the Week that will be broadcast to our Facebook Fans. The item will be on sale and will be a product that we heartily recommend -- as in, we use it and believe in it. This week it's a light set, but you have to become our Fan to get all the deets!
- Ladies, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals has launched a survey called "Writing Women Back into Bicycling: Changing Transportation Culture to Encourage More Women to Cycle More Places More Often." Here's what they have to say:
- We got some nice coverage in Real Detroit Weekly!
While it is an exciting time in the U.S. as many new bicycling projects are being installed, women continue to participate in bicycling at lower rates than men. We are conducting a survey of women and girls to hear from them about the many possible factors influencing their cycling decisions. Take the survey (open until May 15, 2010 – women and girls only please) at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/womencycling. We would like to hear from non-cyclists as well as current and past cyclists. Final results will be available after May 15, during National Bike Month.
Extensive bike riding in a city that centers around the fundamental tenets of car manufacturing is, of course, no small feat of accomplishment. But encouraging riding as a form of personal transportation and fostering a more healthy community identity are some of the core principles practiced by the owners of Wheelhouse Detroit, along with the shop’s devoted following of wheelie worshiping disciples. The Detroit biking tours, especially, are a landmark way for Detroit area dwellers to step off the confines of their front porches and really take in the classic, pristine beauty of some of Detroit’s forgotten architectural majesty.
Check it out here.
We Support Complete Streets
Detroit's relatively well-maintained wide roads, built for a much-larger population, mean that Motor City cyclists have it relatively easy. We get to cruise down streets with nary a car in sight oftentimes! But that doesn't mean that things can't be better. Complete Streets are those that are designed so that they are safe for cyclists, pedestrians and the handicapped -- not just for moving the maximum number of cars at a time.
This brochure breaks down the concept pretty clearly: cs-brochure-features
The Michigan Complete Streets Coalition is working to make this concept a reality statewide, meaning that any road built or even rebuilt would align with the Complete Streets model. This weekend is the Michigan Bike Summit, pushing this issue is at the top of cycling advocates' agenda. Can't make it to Lansing on Saturday? You can still support safer roadways by signing the petition.
We're baaack!
Wheelhouse is open for the 2010 season with lots of new stuff in store. Keep checking our blog for info about advocacy in Detroit as well as rides we sponsor (formally and informally!). But what we'd like to share with you at the moment is details about the bikes we have in-stock for sale. So here goes! Kona Smoke. This the bike that started it all. The Smoke is a mountain bike equipped for the urban jungle. It's got monster tires, comes equipped with fenders and looks downright badass. MSRP $425.
Kona Dew. This is like the Smoke's slightly more sophisticated older sibling. Its narrower tires and aluminum frame make it fast and light -- and sharp! MSRP $449.
Kona World Bike. A three-speed internal hub keeps the World Bike tight and simple. And affordable. MSRP $399.
Origin8 Cutler 7. Seven speeds and sleek, this bike has won us over with its steady handling and recession-friendly pricing. $300.
Sun Ruskin. This bike is tailor-made for comfortable cruising city streets at a casual pace. 2009 Model available in Red/Black for $300.
We are also able to order any Kona, Origin8, Surly or Sun bicycle that we don't currently have on the floor. Come by and take a bike for a test spin!
March E-Blast re-post
Hey, if you are not on our email list, you're missing out! We don't bug you much, there's just one email a month that details our tours, service specials, sponsored rides, sales and what's going on with bikes in Detroit in general. Here's our March E-Blast that went out yesterday. If you like what you see, sign up at wheelhousedetroit.com.
Hello dear Wheelhouser,
We missed you so much over the winter and are thrilled to be sending you this missive. We officially open for the season at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 19! We'll be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through April -- we go to a seven-day-a-week schedule beginning May 1. Swing by and say hello!
Shop Local, Shop Wheelhouse! We are reopening full-steam ahead, with new 2010 Konas in stock, including our trusty favorite the Smoke ($425), the fast and light Dew ($450), the handsome Dew Drop ($800) and a wicked three-speed World Bike ($400). We also have a couple of 2009 bikes still available and soon, we will have some sweet Origin8 Cutler 7s as well. Meanwhile, stay tuned for more bikes. Per usual, we have tubes, tires, fenders, locks, lights and more...so stock up for a new season!
Get your steed in shape! Real quick, we are offering a spring tune-up special. Drop off your bike by April 16 and get a full Ron Shelton tune-up for just 40 bucks. Yes, it's ridiculous, we know. Karen says to hurry in before we change our minds.
Tour the D! Last year, our tours really took off. This year, we're going even further, with almost 50 being offered. We are keeping all of our neighborhood faves, but adding lots of themed tours -- think Industrial Heritage, Underground Railroad, Arts Incubators, Urban Agriculture, Indie Boutiques. Some tours are in the morning, some are in the afternoon and a few are even in the early evening. We have informative stops and expert guides lined up. Check out the selection and sign up for one -- or several! -- at our Tours page. We also want to make sure you know that we do private group tours, which are great for corporate team-builing exercises, non-profit fund-raisers and pre-wedding excursions. Give us a call at 313-656-2453 and we'll set something up!
What else to expect in 2010? We have so much up our sleeves for the year that we can hardly stand it. For starters, the Tour de Troit is set for September 25. We are also sponsoring Bike the Bridge on June 13, the Colin Hubbell Memorial Bike Ride on June 19 and Compuware's Motor City Bike Ride on August 28. We will be sure to let you know about registration opportunities for them all.
In closing, we really can't thank you enough for your past support of Wheelhouse, and are really looking forward to another year exploring the Motor City on two wheels with you.
Sincerely, Your Friends at Wheelhouse Detroit
1340 E. Atwater Detroit, MI 48207 313-656-BIKE (2453) www.wheelhousedetroit.com wheelhousedetroit.wordpress.com Become a Facebook Fan of Wheelhouse Detroit Bike Shop!
Bike Summit 2010
Kelli attended the 2010 Bike Summit in Washington, DC last week and came back brimming with ideas from around the country. A random sampling of thoughts and ideas...
(Kelli on a pedicab on Capitol Hill!)
- Revolution Cycles in DC has added a fourth location that functions as bike share, rentals, service and retail accessories. It was interesting to hear a larger retailer talk about rentals turning more people into cyclists, ultimately helping his business. We would concur!
- Learned a bit about the cycling commuter tax benefit, although more research is in order. Certainly, our employees would qualify...
- Adventure Cycling, an organization we first encountered last year when they came to town to discuss the Underground Railroad Cycling Route they are working on, talked about cycling tourism as a growing industry. This is a concept we are really trying to nudge our Convention & Visitors Bureau to "get." So far, not a whole lotta luck, but we'll keep plugging away.
- Quebec's La Route Verte bicycle route looks amazing. Road trip 2011?
- The Michigan delegation at the summit, which included -- among others -- Todd Scott of Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, John and Wes from PEAC, John Lindenmeyer from League of Michigan Bicyclists, Rory Neuner from Safe Routes to School and two guys from Copper Harbor that are building an amazing trail system up there in the UP, spent a day meeting with staffers from the offfices of Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow as well as members of Congress. We discussed Complete Streets and other issues near and dear to our hearts, and heard many comments about how much more sophisticated and persuasive the bike lobby has become over the last decade.
- All in all, it was a great experience. Special thanks to the National Bicycle Dealers Association for the new bike shop scholarship that afforded Kelli the trip!
Detroit = Bike Friendly
So it's not Portland, but Detroit's low density and wide streets mean great riding. And now, the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance is getting the opportunity to prove it to the rest of the world. They've just received a $15,000 grant from REI and Bikes Belong to help earn us a Bike Friendly City designation. Kudos! Kelli just returned from the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC, so she'll be posting a re-cap soon on some exciting initiatives and ideas that were generated on Capitol Hill!
Meanwhile, enjoy this early spring while it's here!